Britain beating Europe in adoption of Wi-Fi on railway networks

Following the announcement that National Express East Anglia (NXEA) will be the latest UK train line to offer onboard Wi-Fi in the New Year, it has been highlighted that Britain is by far outstripping Europe in delivering the service.

"Wi-Fi is increasingly identified by passengers as an important reason for choosing rail over other forms of transport," said Alistair Lees, managing director of MyTrainTicket.co.uk.

On the UK routes it is offered, Wi-Fi is either made available on all or most of the trains available. This gives almost all passengers the option of accessing the internet for business or leisure when travelling.

In contrast, provision in Europe is much scarcer. Italy, Spain, Ireland, Holland and Austria have virtually no access to the service when travelling by rail. Even in France, Germany and Belgium Wi-Fi is only offered on a select few train services.

On France's TGV lines for example, only 10 to 15 per cent have been refurbished to offer the technology, and it is not possible for passengers to know in advance whether or not their train or route will have the service.

Germany provides the strongest competition, with coverage on routes between Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. However, Wi-Fi technology is again only available on the latest upgraded trains and does not serve trains heading east to the capital city Berlin.

"Just as Britain led the way in establishing railways in the Industrial Revolution, so the train companies are now at the forefront of the digital revolution. Britain is well ahead of its European counterparts," added Lees.

The cost of accessing onboard Wi-Fi varies quite significantly. While all train operating companies with the technology provide free unlimited access to First Class passengers, only three extend this service to Standard Class. The charge for Standard Class passengers varies between £1.50 per journey to £5 for an hour.